Pascal Wehrlein: “We’ll do everything to again get the best out of ourselves”

Pascal Wehrlein knows he should be entering the New York City E-Prix weekend on top of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship standings, but the German finds himself twelfth after penalties in both Puebla E-Prix races lost him a significant number of points.

The Tag Heuer Porsche FE Team driver took the chequered flag in race one in Mexico but was disqualified as he crossed the line by the stewards after the team failed to declare his tyres prior to the race.  This promoted Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver Lucas di Grassi to first place.

And after finishing second in race two, he was handed a time penalty for an incorrect use of fanboost that relegated him to fourth.  It meant he ended up scoring only twelve points rather than forty-three.  He sits only twenty-four points off top spot in the championship!

Wehrlein says the team will refocus and build on their potential from Puebla in this weekend’s double header around the Brooklyn Street Circuit, and he knows that first Formula E victory is just around the corner if everything comes together.

“We all did a super job in Puebla and we deserved that first victory,” said Wehrlein.  “But no matter how big the disappointment was at first, we have to keep working hard and try to make the most of the next opportunities.

“We’ve taken a good look at what happened in Puebla but now we’re focussing on New York. We’ll do everything to again get the best out of ourselves and our package. If we manage this, we’ll definitely be as strong as we were in Puebla.

“The racetrack is new turf for the team but I’ve already competed there. It’s a typical city circuit, very narrow with walls on either side of you. I love such Formula E racetracks.”

“I’m confident that things will be better again for me” – André Lotterer

For team-mate André Lotterer, it has been a strange season with only one top ten finish coming his way, which was a second-place finish in race two of the Valencia E-Prix in April.

And whereas Wehrlein was fighting for the victories in Mexico, Lotterer was struggling in the midfield, with only a seventeenth-place finish in race two to show for his efforts after also being disqualified in race one.

But Lotterer remains confident that things will turn around for him, and he hopes the experience of Puebla and what Porsche were able to take away from the last event can benefit him around the Brooklyn Street Circuit this weekend.

“It’s a great location and a great track – so I’m very excited for New York,” said Lotterer.  “Puebla wasn’t an easy weekend for me. I struggled in race 8 without really knowing what was going on.

“I was going well in race 9 until I picked up the advertising banner. We certainly collected a lot of data, we looked at what we did right and what wasn’t good. We then implemented what we learned to prepare for New York.

“I’m confident that things will be better again for me there. The team supports me and is incredibly focussed. At some point, it simply has to work.”

André Lotterer feels good results are just around the corner – Credit: FIA Formula E